Gudi Padwa 2025 Date in Maharashtra: When Is Marathi New Year? Know the Significance and Rituals Related to Spring Festival Celebrated by Marathi and Konkani Hindus

Gudi Padwa is a major festival celebrated by Maharashtrians, Konkanis, and people from various parts of India to mark the beginning of the new year according to the Luni-Solar calendar. This vibrant festival, also known as Samvatsar Padvo, is a time of renewal, prayers, and joyous celebrations. Gudi Padwa 2025 will be celebrated on Sunday, March 30. Chaitra Navratri 2025 Dates and Full Calendar: Ghatasthapana, Durga Ashtami, Ram Navami and Other Important Dates of Navratri Festival.

Gudi Padwa 2025: Date and Shubh Muhurat

For 2025, the Pratipada Tithi (the first day of the lunar month) will begin on March 29, 2025, at 04:27 PM and end on March 30, 2025, at 12:49 PM. This marks the perfect time for celebrating Gudi Padwa, as it is celebrated on the first day of Chaitra in the Luni-Solar calendar, which combines the positions of both the moon and the sun to determine the start of the year.

Significance of Gudi Padwa

Gudi Padwa holds immense significance, especially among the Marathi and Konkani communities. It is the beginning of the new Samvatsara, which refers to the sixty-year cycle used in Hindu timekeeping. Each of these Samvatsaras is identified by a unique name, and the celebration of Gudi Padwa marks the commencement of a new cycle. The festival signifies the triumph of good over evil, renewal, and a fresh start.

This day is also celebrated as Ugadi by the people of Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh, where it holds the same importance as Gudi Padwa but is named differently in these regions. Both Gudi Padwa and Ugadi occur on the same day and are deeply rooted in the cultural practices of the respective states.

Celebrations and Rituals of Gudi Padwa

On Gudi Padwa, the Marathi New Year is celebrated with great enthusiasm and devotion. It is the day when people decorate their homes, don new clothes, and take part in various rituals. A key ritual is the oil bath, which is believed to purify the body and mind. The oil bath is followed by prayers to seek blessings for health, wealth, and prosperity in the new year.

One of the most important traditions during Gudi Padwa is the erection of the Gudi—a decorated pole that symbolizes the victory of good over evil. The Gudi is typically made by tying a bright cloth to a stick, along with a copper or silver pot at the top, and placed outside homes. The sight of the Gudi signifies the triumph of righteousness and invokes blessings for the year ahead.

While Gudi Padwa is celebrated in Maharashtra and the Konkan region, the Solar calendar also gives rise to other New Year celebrations such as:

• Puthandu in Tamil Nadu
• Bihu in Assam
• Vaisakhi in Punjab
• Pana Sankranti in Odisha
• Naba Barsha in West Bengal

Though the new year is celebrated at different times in different regions, these festivals all reflect the importance of new beginnings, prosperity, and spiritual growth.

In 2025, Gudi Padwa coincides with the first day of Chaitra Navratri, the nine-day festival dedicated to the worship of Goddess Durga. While North Indians celebrate Chaitra Navratri with prayers and fasting, Maharashtrians celebrate the beginning of the new year with Gudi Padwa rituals. On this day, both communities also eat Neem leaves with Mishri as part of their tradition, symbolizing the balance between bitter and sweet experiences in life.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Mar 18, 2025 04:54 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).